International
Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB) at Convention on Biological Diversity
11th
Conference of the Parties, Hyderabad, India
8th-19th
October 2012
Opening
Statement
Mr. Chairperson,
Thank you for giving us the
opportunity to present this statement on behalf of the International Indigenous
Forum on Biodiversity (IIFB).
We are indeed grateful for the
governments of Sweden, Norway, the Christensen Fund and CBD Voluntary Fund for
their generous donations and support which has enabled the participation of
over a hundred Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ delegates in this
conference.
Mr. Chairperson, members of the
IIFB have been meeting in the past two days to take a critical look at the
various initiatives and decisions undertaken for the implementation of the
Convention in the last two years after COP 10. Whilst the forum had noticed
improvements in some areas and processes, we regret to say that much work still
needs to be done in some critical areas especially as we have noticed that the
current emphasis on economic growth in the wake of the global economic and
climate change crisis as well as government responses had affected Indigenous
peoples in far greater and disproportionate dimensions.
Having one of the largest
populations in the world including over 100 million Indigenous peoples known by
different names, we acknowledge the Adivasis and other tribal peoples in India
as Indigenous Peoples and stand in solidarity with them in their peculiar
struggles against displacement from their ancestral lands in lieu of
development in India.
We
express our deep concern about the negotiation process on our Mother Earth, who
is a living and sacred Mother from the view of indigenous peoples that cannot
be given a monetary value.
We
believe that our physical, cultural and spiritual continuity as indigenous
peoples depends on our lands, territories, waters and coastal seas and other
resources.
We
recognize the vital role that indigenous peoples and local communities play,
particularly women, in the transmission of traditional knowledge, customary use
and management of biodiversity, as well as the recovery and continuity of our
cultures.
In recognition of the above, Mr.
Chairperson, the IIFB will in the coming two weeks present specific
recommendations to the Parties in the various working groups, but we offer
these general comments.
MAINSTREAMING
OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RIGHTS IN BIODIVERSITY DECISIONS
Five years ago, the United
Nations General Assembly passed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples which sets the minimum benchmarks for the recognition of
Indigenous peoples and their effective participation in decision making
processes. We note with regret that most states in the implementation of
decisions under the Convention on Biological Diversity have failed to
mainstream the rights inherent in the declaration in their decisions relating
to biodiversity in respect of conservation of biodiversity, sustainable use and
equitable access and benefit sharing arrangements.
LACK OF PARTICIPATION OF
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN KEY DECISION MAKING PROCESSES AND ACTIVITIES
The
issue of the full and effective participation of Indigenous peoples
is recognized as essential in the attainment of the objectives of the
Convention on Biological Diversity particularly in relation to conservation,
sustainable use and the equitable access
and benefit sharing processes. This fact had been reiterated in
various COP decisions particularly
COP 10 Decision X /18 paras 1 and 5, COP 10 Decision X/37 paras 3 and 4, COP 10
Decision X/42 paras 27-29 etc.
We are
deeply concerned that most of these COP decisions on ensuring the full and
effective participation or involvement of Indigenous peoples have not been
dutifully followed by state parties. We urge parties to implement these
decisions in good faith to ensure greater conservation of biodiversity.
PROTECTED AREAS
Whilst we note the process for
the development of PoWPA for protected areas, we are concerned about the
increasing expansion of protected areas cutting us away from the harmonious
relationship we had with nature. We call for increased recognition of
Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCA) and biocultural protocols.
We also call on parties to
address the lingering issue of the
restitution of our lands and territories taken for protected areas
without our free, prior and informed
consent so that Indigenous Peoples can re-establish control their our lands and territories.
BIODIVERSITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is threatening our
way of life, our food security and sovereignty and drawing us further into
deeper poverty and hopelessness in spite of the fact that we have contributed
very little to its causes.
In addition to the above, Mr.
Chairperson, is the disturbing realization that even the mitigation and
adaptation approaches being developed
and implemented to address climate change by state parties to the convention
are causing more Indigenous rights violations than it has even envisaged.
We note with regret that the REDD
Safeguards being proposed in response to REDD is not sufficient enough to
guarantee our rights because it is does not have a strong compliance
mechanism.
We call for the conference of parties
to examine these safeguards further to ensure that it guarantees effective
protection of Indigenous peoples. We also call for more enhanced partnership
between the CBD and other Rio conventions particularly the UNFCCC to address
the issue of biodiversity and climate change.
NAGOYA PROTOCOL ON ACCESS AND
BENEFIT SHARING
Indigenous peoples reaffirm their
rights over genetic resources and its associated traditional knowledge. We call on state parties to recognize these
rights and facilitate the effective participation of Indigenous peoples as they
take steps to develop necessary frameworks for the operationalisation of the
protocol such as the involvement of Indigenous peoples in
capacity-building/capacity-development initiatives as well as awareness-raising
activities relating to the implementation of the Nagoya Protocol; as well as
the ABS Clearing-house Mechanism.
Whilst we appreciate the setting
up of the Nagoya Protocol Implementation Fund, we regret that the Fund have no
mechanism for access by Indigenous peoples nor does indigenous peoples have any
fund establish for such purpose as the NPIF. As holders of traditional
knowledge and keepers of genetic resources, we urge the GEF and state parties
to facilitate the access of Indigenous Peoples to this fund.
We also urge state parties that
have not ratified the protocol to do so immediately to enable the protocol to
enter into force.
NEW WORKPLAN ON ARTICLE 10c
We note with appreciation the
development of a new work plan on Article 10c, which will assist Parties to
take more effective measures to support and promote our customary sustainable
use of biodiversity. We hope that the bracketed targets in the indicative list
that deal with recognition of land and resource and tenure rights and customary
laws and traditional institutions – which are crucial issues- can be resolved
by this COP and we look forward to providing out continued input and
suggestions on this matter.
FINANCIAL MECHANISMS
We note with deep concern that the proposed
elements for the four-year (2014-2018) framework for programme priorities related to utilization
of resources for the biodiversity focal area of
GEF is being developed without adequate participation of indigenous peoples. The
implications of this are quite enormous and we urge the parties to reverse the
trend.
FOREST AND AGRICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY
The
importance of Forest and Agricultural Biodiversity to the survival of
Indigenous peoples cannot be over emphasized.
Our food security, food sovereignty, health and economic wellbeing have
a direct relationship with our forest and agricultural biodiversity.
In line with the position of the
late Mahatma Gandhi, we agree that small is beautiful and urge state
parties to support and encourage Indigenous Peoples and small
farmers’ food systems, which has been providing food for our peoples for
millennia.
COMMUNICATIONS, EDUCATION, AND
PUBLIC AWARENESS
We welcome COP 10 Decision
X/18, para 1 which calls for
the full and effective participation of amongst others indigenous peoples in
all activities and processes relating to CEPA.
Mr. Chairperson, Indigenous
media continue to play a critical role in the promotion and awareness of the
importance of cultural and biological diversity, and help highlight the pivotal
role traditional knowledge and language play in the daily lives of all people.
The CBD Programme of Work on Communication, Education and Public Awareness
(CEPA) aims to inform and to increase public awareness, using simple and clear
language, on the importance of biodiversity and associated traditional
knowledge. The establishment of Indigenous community radios is crucial to the
attainment of this objective and we urge state parties to facilitate its
establishment by Indigenous peoples.
On a
final note, whilst appreciating the various contributions to the Voluntary
Fund, we appeal to state parties to make more contributions to the CBD
Voluntary Fund to enable it fulfil its mandate of supporting Indigenous peoples
participation in CBD processes. We also call for consideration of indigenous peoples from developed countries that are presently being
excluded from access to resources for increased funding to also enable their
effective participation in CBD processes.
Mr. Chairperson, as we gather
here today to look at how far we have fared since COP 10, we reiterate our passionate
appeal to state parties to set aside politics and ensure that COP 11 makes the
difference for which we have all toiled and worked in the last two years.
Thank you.